Who is a DBA?
A DBA is an IT professional, who maintains,
manages, and administers databases and the Database Management Systems (DBMS)
that store those databases. A DBA mainly deals with enterprise DBMSs
(e.g., Oracle, SQL Server etc.) that contrast with personal DBMSs (e.g.,
Access).
The acronym DBA stands for Database
Administrator, not Database Analyst. A database analyst, however, can
assume the role of a DBA. A DBA focuses mostly on management and
administration, but a Database Analyst focuses mostly on development and
management.
Formal vs. Tool-Based DBA
A Formal DBA is an IT professional, who
usually has a degree in Computer Science, starts his/her career as a
programmer/analyst, and specializes in all aspects of databases, DBMSs, and
related technologies by assimilating broader aspects of computing.
A Tool-Based DBA is an IT
professional, who usually has a degree in a discipline other than Computer
Science, primarily learns to use only the tools and techniques associated with a DBMS, and lacks the of knowledge of broader aspects of computing.
The following diagram "Career Path of a DBA" shows
academic background and areas of work experience for a DBA, which also
differentiates a Formal DBA from a Tool-Based DBA:
Role of a DBA in an Organization
If an organization is thought as a human
body, then an enterprise Database Management System is its heart, the data are
its blood-cells, and the information generated from the data is its
blood. A Database Analyst is the haematologist and a DBA is the heart
specialist for the organization.
A DBA can be viewed as an all-in-one IT resource for the
organization, as he/she has experience in the core IT functions identified in
the following diagram:
An enterprise DBMS, along with its associated applications, is
relatively the most expensive software for its functionality and necessity in
an organization. A DBA maximizes the organization’s Return on
Investment (ROI) by exploiting the DBMS’ fullest
potential and helping developers make efficient and secure applications.
A DBA stays vigilant for an organization’s
business applications and information repositories to avoid data loss,
protect data security, ensure data availability, and maintain data compliance.
Major Tasks of a DBA
- Evaluates database server’s hardware, operating system, and related technologies
- Plans, installs, and upgrades database software
- Plans and creates databases and/or implements database designs
- Plans and performs database backup and recovery
- Monitors database related aspects of operating system, storage, and network
- Monitors and addresses various aspects of databases, DBMSs, and related technologies
- Monitors and tunes database performance
- Develops and maintains database and DBMS related processes, policies, and standards
